Device for supporting the strand in the cutting area in continuous casting plants



May 30, 1967 on 3,322,418

H. K. L DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING THE STRAND IN THE CUTTIN AREA IN CONTINUOUS CASTING PLANTS Filed June 2, 1964 INVENTOR. HORST K. LOTZ a BYz M M-M n'roaueis United States Patent DEVICE FOR SUPPORTIN G THE STRAND IN THE CUTTING AREA IN CONTINUOUS CASTING PLANTS Horst K. Lotz, Neu Isenberg, Germany, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Messer Griesheim G.m.b.H., Frankfurt am Main, Germany, a corporation of Germany Filed June 2, 1964, Ser. No. 372,044 7 Claims. (Cl. 266-23) This invention relates to a device for supporting the strand or bloom within the cutting range of flame cutting machines for continuous casting plants. In continuous casting plants where the strands or blooms are bent into the horizontal plane, the hot strands must be supported within the range of the flame cutting machine in order to avoid sagging of the strand.

During the flame cutting process, the flame cutting device travels synchronous to the strand. Consequently, the rollers of an ordinary roller train would be damaged by the cutting jet of the torch. Furthermore, the downward flowing slag from vthe flame cutting will adhere to the rollers and aflect their operation.

In order to avoid these disadvantages, it has been suggested that a roller train with rollers that can be lowered individually be provided. Each roller in such a device is lowered mechanically or hydraulically after a switch has been actuated by the passing flame cutting device. If a torch is used as the cutting tool, the rollers can be protected to a certain degree against slag adherence by a Water sprinkling system. However, due to the complex drives, foundation work and special design of the roller train supports, this type of roller train would prove to be expensive and could be used economically only in special cases.

A second suggestion has been a carriage travelling back and forth with the cutting device between two fixed rollers of the roller table and always supporting one point of the strand. However, if the supporting gap becomes too large due to the necessary travelling length of the cutting device, the strand will sag in any case. If, upon completion of the cut, the supporting carriage returns to its starting position immediately, the free strand end will bend down and will not roll onto the roller train that follows the cutting range. This can cause annoying interruptions of operation. In order to avoid this, after completion of the cut, the carriage must carry the new free end of the strand up to the roller train following the cutting range. Only then may the carriage return to its starting position. Thus, the shortest possible length of a strand section, determined by the cutting time plus the return time of the cutting device, is unfavorably influenced since the time for further forward travel of the support carriage and the resulting additional return travel time must be added.

It is the purpose of this invention to eliminate these disadvantages and to provide a device which insures safe and positive support for the strand between the strand straightening rolls and the discharge roller bed.

The invention achieves this in a simple and advantageous manner by providing an additional chain roller train within the cutting zone and between two rollers of the strand roll line. The chain roller train is driven synchronously with the torch of the flame cutting machine and guided in rails. The chain roller train is coupled to the flame cutting machine in such a manner that the torch always remains in the gap between two rollers of the chain roller train.

In accordance with this invention, the machine is built with the rails in such a manner that the rollers of the chain roller train within the cutting zone are at the same level as the rollers of the roll line. The two ends of the 3,322,418 Patented May 30, I967 rails for the chain roller train can be either slanted downward or the rails can form a closed circle for an endless chain roller train. The rails can be made of channels with bearing surfaces welded and machined. The travelling Wheels of the chain roller train can be supported in ball bearings on the axles of the rollers and the separate axles can be interconnected by straps in the manner of a chain.

The drawing shows a practical example of the invention, as follows:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of the additional chain roller train; FIGURE 4 is an alternative form.

FIGURE 2 is a top view.

FIGURE 3 is a cross section through the rail and the travelling wheel of one roller of the chain roller train.

The strand 1 to be cut runs across a roll table between whose rollers 2 and 3 there is a cutting zone 4 shown by arrows bracketing it. The strand 1 moves across this zone where, moving along with the strand, the torch 5 of the cutting device cuts the strand. It is understood that the carriage and guide, etc. for the torch may be conventional and form no part of this invention. For supporting the strand between the rollers 2 and 3, a chain roller train 6 is provided, whose rollers 7 travel in channel rails 8 and are interconnected by straps 9 and 10. The movable straps 9 and 10 keep the rollers 7 a fixed distance apart and permit movement of the chain roller train in its rails.

As shown in FIGURE 3 of the drawing, the axles 11 of the rollers 7 are extended beyond the connecting straps 9 and 10. Travelling wheels 13 rest upon the bearing surfaces 14 of the travelling rails 8 and are guided thereby. At the ends of the cutting zone 4, the rails 8 are slanted downward and run into pits below the rollers 2 and 3, as shown in FIGURE 1.

The chain roller train 6 moves back and forth synchronously with the torch 5. The drive for the synchronous travel of the chain roller train with the cutting device can be attached to the straps 9 and 10. The cutting device is coupled to the chain roller train in such a manner that the torch 5 is always located between two rollers 7 of the chain roller train 6. The rollers at both ends of this gap permit positive support of the strand, with the rollers 7 themselves positioned to be out of the direct line of the torch 5. The dimensions of the rollers and the distances between rollers are determined by the dimension of the strand to be supported and the number of rollers depends on the length of the cutting zo'ne. Due to the manner in which the rollers are supported, the chain roller train can also be moved opposite to the direction of the strand movement.

Since it is necessary to synchronize motion of chain 7 with torch 5, it may also be desirable to interconnect the carriage of torch 5 and the chain.

In FIGURE 4, there is the diagrammatic representation of the chain apparatus including the drive mechanism.

In the drawing, 40 and 41 represent pinch rolls for withdrawing a continuously cast billet 42 from the continuous casting mechanism, which billet travels over the stationary rollers, thereby being carried to the synchronous roller belt which is the characterizing feature of the invention. Here, the belt 50 is a continuous loop having rollers 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, etc., arranged to present three or four of its rollers in the same horizontal plane and simultaneously with the stationary rollers 43 to carry the billet through the cutting zone. The belt 50 is driven by a simple mechanism, illustrated diagrammatically, taking its power directly from the withdrawal rolls. These rolls are quite heavily built and powered and, for purposes of installation in existing mills, the drive mechanism is preferably a solenoid clutch 60 connected through a shaft 61 to another clutch 62 through a shaft 63 and motor 64.

Chain 65 is connected to the continuous loop roller and drives it around its circuit.

For a cutting cycle, therefore, the clutch is engaged and the rollers drive the continuous loop. A pit is provided to allow the depending chain loop freedom of travel. The chain 65 is driven at exactly the same speed the billet is travelling and, after the billet is severed, the torch is returned. The solenoid clutch is likewise disengaged and the chain returned to starting position; if it is discontinuous as in FIGURE 1 for another cycle.

Though the inevntion has been illustrated with only a limited number of examples, it is to be understood variations of detail can be used without departing from its spirit or scope.

What is claimed is:

1. A device which supports the strand in the cutting range of a flame cutting machine for continuous strand casting apparatus, said machine having a cutting torch and horizontal work table, comprising a chain roller train, guided in rails, and having a drive synchronous with the torch of the flame cutting machine, said chain roller train being arranged with the flame cutting range between two rollers of the chain roller which supports the strand.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1, characterized by the chain roller train and flame cutting machine being coupled so that they move together with the strand, with the torch always remaining in the gap between two rollers of the chain roller train.

3. A device in accordance with claim 2, wherein the guide rails are placed so that the rollers of the chain roller train are at the same level as the rollers of the roll table for the strand only within the cutting range.

4. A device in accordance with claim 3, wherein the two ends of the guide rails for the chain roller train are slanted downward.

5. A device in accordance with claim 3, wherein the guide rails form a closed loop for guiding an endless chain roller train.

6. A device in accordance with claim 1, characterized by the guide rails consisting of channels with bearing surfaces welded and machined.

7. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the travelling wheels of the chain roller train are supported on the axles of the rollers in bearings, and the separate axles are interconnected by straps.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,967,496 7/1934 Carr l98189 X 2,806,263 9/1957 Hogan 266-23 X JOHN F. CAMPBELL, Primary Examiner.

R. F. DROPKIN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE WHICH SUPPORTS THE STRAND IN THE CUTTING RANGE OF A FLAME CUTTING MACHINE FOR CONTINUOUS STRAND CASTING APPARATUS, SAID MACHINE HAVING A CUTTING TORCH AND HORIZONTAL WORK TABLE, COMPRISING A CHAIN ROLLER TRAIN, GUIDED IN RAILS, AND HAVING A DRIVE SYNCHRONOUS WITH THE TORCH OF THE FLAME CUTTING MACHINE, SAID CHAIN ROLLER TRAIN BEING ARRANGED WITH THE FLAME CUTTING RANGE BETWEEN TWO ROLLERS OF THE CHAIN ROLLER WHICH SUPPORTS THE STRAND. 